The Buying Filters of Emerging Majority Women

Whether your market is Hispanic, Black or Asian American women, an " in-culture " marketing approach should be the ultimate goal: ^[3] The keys to reaching them should reflect their truths as ethnic women, as well as honor the beliefs, traditions and values that differentiate them from women in the general marketplace .

There are a few overarching guidelines to consider when viewing your brand through the lens of an Hispanic, a Black or an Asian American woman :

Cultures and dialects vary even within each segment. Asian Americans, for example, have roots in countries with cultures and languages as diverse as those of India, Cambodia, and Japan.

Acculturation will vary, as well. Women who are first generation immigrants will likely hold much more strongly to the traditions of their homeland than will their daughters or granddaughters.

Religion is an important but sensitive topic. Special holy days and celebrations are very meaningful to members of these ethnic populations, but such strong faiths and traditions make it that much easier for marketers to offend (so be wary).

Family and domestic concerns remain important. Family gatherings are so traditionally ingrained with most of these segments that representing women from these ethnicities in an overly independent, more Anglocized way, might not resonate.

Clothing, hair and general appearance matter. A put-together and well-groomed look is yet another cultural standard for many women in these emerging majorities, which should be reflected in your marketing efforts. Interestingly, even though ethnic women seem more attentive to their appearance, the effects of aging may be less of an issue for them than for Caucasian women. As reported by the Fort Worth Star Telegram , "In general, African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American women appear to be less worried about getting (and looking) olderpartly because their skin is less quick to show signs of age, and partly because their cultural backgrounds offer them a different perspective." ^[4]

Language may still be a barrier . In response to acculturation levels, an effort should be made to communicate with people of Hispanic, Black or Asian American (or any other) ethnicity in their own language wherever possible. If nothing else, a bilingual approach in ads or promotions will be key for further demonstrating that your brand values its consumers' cultural heritage.

Certainly, you may be able to make an existing campaign more relevant to some of these emerging cultures with minor adjustments in tone. But usually, it will take more effort to craft messages and find images that resonate with the different cultures of these emerging majorities.

Honda, for example, has already realized the value of taking a multicultural approach. In mid-2002, the marketing savvy auto manufacturer launched three ad campaigns specifically targeted to Hispanics, Asian Americans and Blacks. Their bilingual Hispanic TV effort, tagged "When was the last time a car sounded this good to you?" aired on Univision, Telemundo, VH1, Discovery and MTV. The Asian American spot was more celebration-oriented with a voice-over that said, "Introducing the all-new Accord. Let the celebration begin." And, the African American ad aired on UPN, WB and BET, featuring the tagline , "Redesigned Accord coupe from Honda. The attraction is obvious." ^[5]

Honda's well-done multicultural efforts should inspire us to learn more about marketing effectively to these emerging majorities. Let's take a quick look at some of the facts and marketing challenges specifically presented by the Hispanic, Asian American and Black women's markets to help you jump-start launching your own in-culture campaigns.

^[3] M. Isabel Vald s is recognized as the founder of the in-culture marketing movement. She is also the author of Marketing to American Latinos, a Guide to the In-Culture Approach , Part 2 (Ithaca, N.Y.: Paramount Market Publishing, 2002). Also see http://www.isabelvaldes.com.

^[4] Miki Turner, "The Dilemma of Aging," Fort Worth Star Telegram , February 9, 2003. Cited in Lisa Finn, editor, Marketing to Women newsletter (New York: EPM Communications, Inc.), April 2003, http://www.epmcom.com.

^[5] Angela Johnson, editor, Marketing to Emerging Majorities (New York: EPM Communications, Inc., October 2002), http://www.epmcom.com.